


A Fever You Can't Sweat Out

by orphan_account



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Awesome Jarvis (Iron Man movies), Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, OC is Tony's daughter, Protective Bucky Barnes, Steve Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-18
Updated: 2015-11-11
Packaged: 2018-04-09 10:37:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4345304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Soldier, what is your mission?" He asked, a smug smile on my face. "My mission is to take out the Avengers and anyone associated with them." My blood ran cold when he answered without emotion. We were on our knees, guns trained on our heads. "Correct." He looks down the line of us, his eyes stopping on me. "Bring her here." Tears sprung to my eyes as two guards picked me up by my biceps and put me back on my knees in front of the Soldier. The doctor hands him a pistol, gesturing to me. "You may start with her." He looks to me. "Any last words?" He spits. I take a breath, this is my last shot. "Regrets collect like old friends, here to relive your darkest moments. I can see no way, I can see no-way." My voice cracks as I hear the pistol cock. "And all of the ghouls come out to play," I take another breath as I glance back at Steve, whose eyes are wide. "And every demon wants his pound of flesh, but I like to keep some things to myself." Tears start rolling down my eyes as I feel the gun pointed at my head. "I like to keep my issues drawn," I quickly look up the Soldier, locking eyes with him. "It's always darkest before the dawn." Then all hell breaks loose.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" I shout into the headphone's microphone as my character dies on the ground, zombies surrounding me.

"Harley, what happened?" Lera's voice questions on the other end.

"Punk ass zombies took me down at in the barn. Sorry Lera, you are royally fucked." She groans and I chuckle, setting down my controller as I watch her try shooting through the mass of zombies that have hoarded around her.

"How is it that it's always you to die first? I'm starting to think you actually suck at this game." She says and I jolt up, my jaw slack.

"No it's not! You're the one that always ditches me in round ten when I start struggling." I fire back.

"Meh, everyone for themselves." She comments and I scoff.

"Mhmm, sure. Well I'm gonna go, my ride's supposed to be here in a bit. I'll FaceTime you when I get to New York."

"Alrighty chica, see 'ya later. And I want a signed something from Hawkeye and the Black Widow when you get back." She says and I laugh.

"I'll do my best." I disconnect and I turn off my PS4, plugging in the controller to charge. I rake my fingers through my hair then crack my back. I flick off the light and I walk to my bedroom, turning to my suitcase. I zip it up and role it out to the foyer, setting it by the door. I pull on my gray zip up and lace up my brown boots, jumping a bit when a car honks in my driveway. I stand up and open the door, walking out to the taxi with my suitcase. The driver is waiting by the trunk and I set my suitcase by him, giving a slight smile. As the driver puts my suitcase in the trunk, I hop in the backseat. The driver opens the door and gets in, pulling out of the driveway.

"Where to?" He asks.

"St. Augustine Airport please." He nods. My phone buzzes and I pull it out of my pocket, sighing when Tony's name lights up the screen. I press accept and put the phone up to my ear.

"Hey, just pulled out of the driveway. Heading to the hangar now."

"Okay, Happy's going to meet you there and bring you to the tower. Your room is ready for you when you get here, like always..." He trails off.

"Dad, what did you do to my room?" I ask sternly.

"Just for the record, Birdbrain did it and not me. We had a prank war and well, he wasn't very accurate with his paintball gun like he said he was. But hey, everything is clean and fixed, it's like he didn't even do it." He explains and I sigh.

"When I get there he better duck and hide. Even if I'm only 5'4" I can still smack him with my softball bat. And he knows that I hit the most homeruns on my team." He chuckles on the other end and I smile.

"I will definitely wanna see that. Well I've gotta go, Widow's stalking me."

"Okay, I'll text you when I land."

"See you then, Spawn." The call disconnects and I put my phone away, pulling out my purple notebook and pen from my purse. I had minored in Creative Writing at Flagler, writing always being my strong suit in school and helping me through essays. The story I'm working on is a Historical Fiction piece set in New York during World War Two. The protagonist is twenty-four year old Eleanor Harlow who is an Airforce Pilot. I've only gotten as far as her getting her orders to ship out to England, but other than that, I have nothing. The writer's block is a pain in my ass, but I just don't have the mindset to get past this part.

Before I know it, we pull into the small airport just outside of Downtown St. Augustine. I put my stuff away and get out of the taxi. The driver gets my suitcase from the trunk and I pay him, thanking him and I walk up to Tony's jet. I walk up the steps, setting my bag by the door for one of the flight attendants to put away. I choose the seat in the back, setting my purse in the seat next to me. One of the flight attendants place a glass of Dr. Pepper in front of me and I smile, thanking her. I take a sip and put my feet up, closing my eyes. _It's going to be a nice ride._

* * *

New York's brisk autumn air blows as I walk off the plane, Happy waiting at the side of a black Mercedes.

"Glad to see you land safely, Ms. Harley."

"I've known you for how many years Happy and you still call me Ms. Harley? C'mon, you know you can just call me Harley, buddy. I hope you got my flowers when you were in the hospital." I smile and he gives a small smile back.

"I did, thank you." He opens up the backseat door and I scooch in as he takes care of my suitcase. I pull my phone back out to shoot Tony a text.

_Just landed. What are we doing for dinner tonight?_   
_I was thinking we should do a team dinner tonight. Is that alright?_   
_Sure, sounds great. I'll see you in a bit._   
_Okay, see you then._

I lock my phone as Happy gets back into the car. He starts up the engine and we drive off.

As we pull up to the tower, a smile stretches onto my face as excitement begins to bubble in me.

The first time I met the Avengers, I was here was the day after The Battle of New York. I had watched from the edge of my couch in St. Augustine, watching in horror as my dad and The Avengers fought off the Chitauri and Loki. And when Tony went into the wormhole, it felt like my world stopped, it felt like years before he fell back out of the hole. I was absolutely terrified. I booked a flight as soon as I could, desperate to see that he was okay with my own eyes. I didn't sleep too good after that. I stayed there for a while, getting the opportunity to meet the rest of my dad's team. I became really close friends with the entire team, but I became particularly close friends with Steve. It's like they're a big family, even with all of their differences.

Happy parked the car and opened up the door for me. I slid out, stretching a bit as Happy got my suitcase from the trunk. I thanked Happy and went to the elevator, pressing the button on the outside panel. The doors slid open and I walked in, the doors closing behind me.

"Hey Friday, can you take me to Dad?"

"Of course." The AI responded, the elevator taking off. The elevator door soon slide open to reveal Dad's lab, with him and a woman working around a machine.

"Now if I do this, it should recalibrate the sensors." The woman moves a few wires around, causing the machine to glow. The two scientist's faces light up but the machine sputters and dies, steam coming from the top of it.

"I was sure that it was going to work this time." She sags her shoulders and I clear my throat, making their heads snap to me. My dad smiles and walks over to me.

"Harley! Glad to see you here. I would like you to meet Jane Foster, she's recently moved here with Shakespeare." I giggle and hold my hand out.

"Nice to meet you Jane, I'm Harley, Tony's daughter." She shakes my hand as her mouth drops.

"Tony, you never said that you had a daughter." Jane looks to him and he shrugs.

"You never asked." He says smoothly. We drop our hands and she gives a wave, leaving.

"I'm going to go up to my room and get everything settled in. When's dinner?" I look to him and he shrugs.

"Six thirty." He says and I nod.

"Alrighty, see you then." I walk back over to the elevator and I walk in.

"To my room."

My room is painted a light blue with a fluffy gray carpet. The queen bed is pushed into the far right corner with a dark blue duvet set that originally came with four throw pillows, but I'm suspicious that Tony's adding more pillows. I have a white desk that is set up in front of one of the windows in the middle of the far wall. I have a dresser placed on the back wall with the walk in closet near the back left corner. A large bathroom also connects to my room.

But my favorite part about my room is the daybed. It's placed in the far left corner of my room with a window with different stacks of pillows and comforters. It has a few shelves of books with a built in t.v. loaded with just about any movie you can think of. When I was little I used to pull as many all nighters in a row as I could, but eventually crashing after two.

I roll my suitcase into the walk in closet, leaving it there for now. The sun has begun to set a bit, telling me I need to get ready for dinner.

"Hey, Friday, can you play my Get Ready playlist?"

"Of course." He starts playing _All Signs Point To Lauderdale_ by A Day To Remember as I pull out a maroon sleeveless blouse, black slacks and black flats. I braid my hair into a loose French braid after, putting on subtle makeup with medium pink lips and a natural eye look. I softly sing along with the music, nodding my head with the beat.

" _I hate this town, it's so washed up. And all my friends don't give a fuck. They'll tell me it's just bad luck. When will I find where I fit in?_ " A knock pulls me out of the music, making me walk over to my door. "Turn the music down just a bit, J!" I shout over the music as I open the door.

"Pepper!" I quickly wrap my arms around the strawberry blonde in a bone-crushing hug. She laughs as she returns the hugs.

"Hi, Harley. It's been a while." I pull away and look up.

"Yeah, you weren't here last July when I visited last." She smiles and I step aside to let her into my room. She walks in and sits down on my bed, patting next to her. I sit down and I look to her, confused. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sure that you have been kept up to date on the collapse of SHIELD," I nod. "And I'm guessing that you know who the Winter Soldier is." I nod again.

"Yeah, he's an assassin who's been credited for over a dozen assassinations in the past seventy years. There's been theories that the name _The Winter Soldier_ is just a code name for a line of assassins who work for the Russian government."

"You're partly right. The Winter Soldier has really just been one person throughout history. His real name is James Buchanan Barnes," My eyes widen. "Steve has been looking for him since the fall of SHIELD and he may or may not show up in your visit. I just want to make you aware." I nod and she smiles.

"But, how is that possible?" I ask, curious.

"It's not my place to tell. You would have to go to Steve for that answer." She answers and I nod in understanding. "Great. Do you want to walk down to dinner with me?" She asks and I smile.

"Sure." We get up, walking together to the elevator. The doors slide open as we come within range of them.

"Floor thirty-seven, Friday." The elevator takes off on Pepper's command. They open once more to the dining hall, showing my dad, Bruce and Steve already seated at the table. Their heads look over and a smile makes its way onto Steve's face. He gets up, making his way over to us, taking long strides. I hold my arms out as an invitation for a hug. He engulfs me in a bear hug, my left ear pressed against his chest with him being nearly and entire foot taller than me.

"Hey, Rogers. Long time no see." I comment and he chuckles.

"It's been too long." He replies and we let go.

"Damn boy, I didn't think it was possible for you to get any muscular. But the universe shows otherwise." I joke and he looks down to the floor, blushing a bit. He doesn't responds so I softly punch his arm. "C'mon, let's go sit down." Pepper has already taken her seat next to Dad and I sit next to Steve, Natasha most likely going to take the other seat next to me.

"It's nice to see you again, Harley." I look over to Bruce and I smile.

"It's good to see you too, Bruce." He nods and goes back to conversing with my dad.

In time the rest of the team shows up, plus Jane, a dark haired girl who tags along with her and another man. The man takes the other open seat next to Steve when I make the connection. Steve turns to me.

"Harley this is Sam Wilson. He's the one who helped me stop Hydra." He introduces.

"And the one with the bad ass wings." The man adds and I laugh.

"Nice to meet you, Sam. I thought you looked familiar when you walked in." He smiles in return. Natasha has taken her seat next to me, conversing with Clint who sits across from her.

"You know Clint, a little birdy told me that you paint-balled my room while I was gone." I say nonchalantly. He looks to me, his face smug.

"Oh yeah? What are you gonna do about it?" He challenges and raise my eyebrows.

"Just because I'm only 5'4" and 140 pounds doesn't meant that I can't get you back. You better watch your back, Barton."

"I'd like to see you try."

"Oh it's on, Birdbrain." We settle back down and I look back around the table, counting heads, but two are missing.

"Where's Thor and Vision?" I ask.

"Muscles took the newborn a trip to Asgard for the week." The dark haired girl answers. "I'm Darcy. What's your name?"

"Harley." I answer and she nods.

"So what's your affiliation with the team? Are you Steve's girl?" I can hear Steve choke on his water next to me and my dad bursts out laughing at the end of the table. I blush as I try to spit out some type of answer.

"N-no. I'm Tony's daughter." I explain her eyes go bug wide.

"Stark, you never told us you had a daughter." She says to my dad and he shrugs after he calmed down.

"You guys never asked." He says back and she rolls her eyes.

"Well there hasn't been any indication that you had one. I don’t wanna go up to people and be like, 'Hey, do you have a daughter?' when there hasn't been any indication of there being one whatsoever." She fires back but my dad just waves her off, making her huff in frustration. She turns back to me.

"Well it's nice to meet you, Harley. I hope that we get to see each other around the tower in your stay." She smiles and I return one.

"I hope so too."

Dinner went smoothly, everyone conversing with everyone at one point or another. At around seven thirty people began dispersing, starting with Jane and Darcy. Bruce left soon after with Clint trailing him about five minutes after, leaving Natasha, Steve, Tony, Pepper and I.

"Thanks for dinner, Dad. It was great." I get up and bid the other goodnight before heading to the elevator. The doors slide open and it shoots off without even having to say anything. The doors slide back open and I nearly zombie walk to my room, throwing on a pair of track pants and an old high school t-shirt before I wash my face. I climb into my daybed and bundle up in comforters, stacking pillows around me. I close the black out curtains to my room when I'm settled.

"Friday, can you play _Jurassic Park_?" I ask, slightly sleepy. In response the t.v. turns on and I settle back into the mass of pillows behind my head.

"Thanks." I say as large metal cage that holds a pissed off raptor appears on the screen.


	2. Dancing is a Must

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my God I'm so bad at updating. The updates will hopefully be more frequent since summer has passed and I'm starting to get back into the school schedule. Updates may be every two weeks or so depending on school but most likely sometime during the weekend will be when I update. Bucky should show up in the next chapter or two, depends on how I plan out things. Anyways, enjoy!

A groan escapes my lips as I wake up, peeling my eyes open. The sun well above the buildings, the light streaming into my eyes.

"Friday, what time is it?" I ask as I pull back a comforter from my body.

"It is ten thirteen." She answers and I sigh, stretching. "Captain Rogers had stopped by on his way to the gym but you were still asleep."

"Okay, thanks." I pull the comforters from my body, shivering as the cool air touches my skin. I push myself from the bed and walk to the door, pulling it open. I walk into the elevator, the doors closing behind me. The doors open again a moment later to the dining hall where masses of breakfast food have been set out for the residents of the tower. I begin loading a plate with waffles, topping it with a heap of whip cream and various fruits like strawberries, raspberries and bananas. I pour myself a glass of orange juice and I sit down at the table.

Halfway through my meal the doors open, revealing Darcy holding a mug of coffee.

"Hey, Harley." She greets as she gets her breakfast.

"Hi, Darcy." I say after I swallow. After she gets her food she sits across from me.

"So I was wondering if you wanted to head to the mall after breakfast. I've been meaning to go but it's no fun when there's nobody to gossip with." She offers and I smile.

"That sounds great. What time would you want to leave?"

"I was thinking maybe noon if that's okay with you."

"Okay, I'll meet you in the garage at noon." Darcy smiles and I smile back. We continue to eat in silence, breaking it every few minutes to make small talk. I've learned that she studied Political Science at Culver, but eventually taking up Jane's intern position in New Mexico. She's twenty-six years old and is from a small town in Virginia.

"So what about you? How did Tony manage to hide you?" She asks as she finishes the last of her pancakes.

"Well, my mom died giving birth to me in 1988, leaving me in Tony's care. It was either him or to go to my mom's sister. She said she wanted to give my dad a chance at life. So he moved us to Stark Mansion where we were hidden from the world. Of course he had some help raising me from my mom's side of the family and my Aunt Peggy, but he was really the one to raise me." I explain and she nods, lost in thought.

"So when you say ‘Aunt Peggy’, are you referring to the Peggy Carter?" She asks and I nod, making her eyes widen. "Holy fucking shit." She whispers and I laugh at her reaction.

"Yeah, Aunt Peggy's pretty cool. She used to tell stories of her life, and always retelling the ones of her in the war since I liked them so much. She's what jump started my love for history." I elaborate and Darcy nods.

"Did she ever used to tell you of her and Steve?"

"From time to time she did, always describing his bravery against Hydra and is passion to protect. And she said in the end that his passion is what ripped him away from her, but she always meant it in a respectful way. To be honest, I was kind of shy around Steve when I first met him, I didn't want to screw up in front of him after all of the stories that Aunt Peggy had told me." I say and Darcy watches me, focused on my words.

"A Stark being shy?" She jokes and I laugh.

"I know right, who would've thought?" I agree. Darcy scoops up her plate and puts it in the sink, washing it off.

"Well, I'm going to go ahead and get ready. I'll meet you at noon." She gives a wave before leaving. I finish up my breakfast, putting it in the sink before I head back to my room to get ready.

Back at my room I throw on a pair of ripped jeans with a t-shirt and a leather jacket. After I'm done getting dressed, I walk into my bathroom to brush my teeth and put some makeup on. After I'm done with the makeup I start straightening my hair to tame the unruly mess. I pull my Converse back on while I grab my phone from my dresser, checking the time. Eleven forty-seven. I walk to the elevator, telling Jarvis to take me to the garage and to start up my car.

When I reach the garage Darcy is waiting for me.

"So which one is yours?" She asks, gesturing to the cars. I start walking down the lines of cars before finally getting to a black 1969 Mach 1 Ford Mustang. I pull the driver's door open but before I do I look to Darcy, whose mouth is hanging open.

"You coming?" I joke and she looks to me, mouth still open.

"You've got a very pretty car, Harley." She comments and I shrug.

"Sixteenth birthday. It's the only major thing that I've ever asked from my dad. Well, except for the 1988 Harley FXSTC. But he got that for me on his own so that doesn't count." I explain and she laughs. She slides into the passenger seat, buckling herself in. I start up the engine and we pull out.

When we get to the mall we go straight for American Eagle Outfitters, since it was both our favorite store. I began picking out pairs of jeans and different tank tops since I go through them so fast, even picking up a pair of Aviators. When I look back to Darcy, she's picked up multiple sweaters and a pair of sweatpants. We check out and head over to a nail salon, both agreeing that we need it desperately. We get two seats next to each other after picking out our nail colors, Darcy picking a hot pink while I got a darker purple. As the women got started, Darcy turned a bit to me.

"So, you've never even thought about dating Steve?" She gives me a look and I laugh.

"No, we're not like that. We're just friends and I wouldn't want to change that." I smile and she sighs.

"Is there anybody that you have an eye on?" She asks.

"No, not really. I've mainly kept to myself, a bit afraid that guys were gonna use me to get closer to my dad once they found out who he is I guess. I don't know, I just haven't really put myself out there. I haven't even had my first yet." I explain and she gasps.

"What?! You're a virgin?!" She exclaims and I wince, shushing her. "Sorry, it's just that, you're like, in your late twenties and you haven't done the dirty yet." She's wide eyed.

"I guess I'm just waiting for the right guy, I want it to me meaningful." I blush and she smirks.

"I'll get you someone before you leave here. I promise." She smiles and I laugh.

"Okay, if you say so. I trust you." The rest of the day goes smoothly, stopping at a Subway in the food court to grab a late lunch before we headed back to the tower. It was around five thirty when we got back, carrying multiple bags on our arms as we walked into the elevator.

"We should do a team game night, like Rock Band or Dance Central. I wanna introduce Steve to Crank That." I giggle and Darcy's face brightens with excitement.

"Oh my God that would be amazing. We could just tell Jarvis to send a message to the others and they can come if they want."

"Sounds great. Hey, Friday?"

"Yes, Harley."

"Send a message out to the team that there's a Team Game Night tonight if anyone wants to come."

"The message has been sent, I will relay any replies to your phone." My phone immediately buzzes with a response. "Thanks!" Darcy gets off the elevator for her room and I tell her goodbye before the doors close, taking me to my floor. The doors slide back open and I quickly walk out to place the heavy bags on to my bed, pulling off my jacket and resting it on the back of my desk chair. I pull my phone out from my back pocket to see Steve's name on the screen with a message next to it.

_A game night? Like board games or video games?_  
_Easy video games, like Dance Central._  
_You know I can't dance, Harley._  
_Dancing is a must, Rogers. You can't escape it. All you have to do is follow the person on the screen and you'll be fine._  
_Fine. Who else is coming?_  
_Nobody else yet, I'll keep you updated._  
_Okay._

We finished texting and I hooked my phone up to my dock to charge as I started unloading clothes from the numerous shopping bags.

Around six when I got everything unloaded, my phone dinged with a text message. I picked it up and my Dad has started a group message with everyone.

_A game night?! Count me in, it's time to break out the moves. -Tony_

Soon after multiple messages began coming in.

_What is going to be played in this game night? -Bruce_  
_Easy stuff like Dance Central and even Rock Band if we can keep ourselves together. -Darcy_  
_Ooooooh, you guys are going down. - Clint_  
_Clint, you can't dance to save your life. But a game night sounds like a good idea. -Natasha_  
_*GASP* I am wounded, Natasha. -Clint_  
_FFS Clint you are such a drama queen. -Harley_  
_Just wait until I slay all your asses, the we'll see you who will be laughing. -Clint_  
_But please tell me that Capsicle will be forced to do Crank That! -Tony_  
_It is guaranteed. -Harley_  
_Harley, what's Crank That? -Steve_  
_You'll see. We'll meet in the game room at six thirty. Ttyl. -Harley_

I laugh at the conversation as I walk into my closet to change into my stretchy jeans with rips at the knees and a black crop top. I slip on my black Converse, quickly tying them before I go into my bathroom to do my makeup. After applying water proof mascara and eyeliner I leave again to check my phone for the time. Seeing it's six twenty I start heading down to the game room, bumping into Steve.

"Hey, are you ready for game night?" I nudge his shoulder and he chuckles.

"Absolutely not. I am not ready to see Clint and Tony try to dance and fail terribly."

"Oh come on, it's gonna be fun. You'll get the hang of it after a few dances." I say and we continue the rest of our walk in silence. We walk into the game room and mostly everyone is there except for Natasha and my dad. Darcy has set up a table with things like water bottles and various snacks to keep us going through the night, and I'm guessing that the separate table with the beers and vodkas have been my dad's and Natasha's idea. Darcy looks over from putting in the CD and a wide smile stretches on to her face.

"Hey guys! I'm just put in the game so we should be starting here in a little bit." She gives us a hug and I return it. We pull away and I clap my hands together.

"Well, who's ready to get this party started?"

"Hey! That's my line!" I turn around to see my dad walking in with Natasha behind him.

"Too bad." I retort and he smiles.

"So who's up first?" He asks.

"I was thinking that you and Clint could go up first while I stand in the back with Steve trying to get him used to the game if that's alright with you." I explain and he gives a nod. He looks over to Clint who was talking with Natasha.

"Hey Birdbrain! You and I are going up first!" He shouts and Clint's head snaps up, a wide smile on his face.

"Awesome!" I jumps over the couch and get ready. My dad goes up next to him, leaving Steve and I in the back.

"Friday! Play Sexy and I Know It!" The song starts playing and I out of my peripheral vision I can see Steve's eyes widen. My dad and Tony start dancing so I back Steve and I up to give us enough room to show him what to do.

"Now, don't worry about how good they're doing because they've been doing this for forever and you're just now starting. All you have to do is follow the character on the screen and do what they do. We can start out easy on Crank That so you can get the hang of it but then we will raise the level as you get better. I want you to practice right here." He looks at me wide-eyed and I laugh. "Don't worry, nobody's going to judge you. Look, I'll even do it with you." I start dancing in sync with the two men in the front and I nod at Steve to go ahead. He starts out easy with stiff movements but as the song goes on, he starts loosening up. Soon enough, he's dancing nearly perfectly with the character. When the song ends and when Tony and Clint finally stop arguing over whether the system was broken since Tony lost, Steve and I go up.

"Friday, play Crank That." The song starts up and I give Steve an encouraging smile. The first move comes up and I land it, Steve a bit stiff again in front of a crowd. "Steve, you've gotta loosen up. Feel the beat." I nudge him as we're Cranking. He gives a forced chuckle but he does what I say and eventually, he's nearly tied with me.

The song ends and everyone applauds, making Steve's cheeks redden. I turn around a give a bow, coming back up with a sly smile. I look to Darcy and I flick my head to motion her to come up.

"Do you know how to Dougie?" I ask and she gives a grin that mirrors mine.

"Oh you know I do." She pushes herself off the couch and stands to the right of me.

"Friday! Play Teach Me How To Dougie." The song starts and we both start landing the moves perfectly, the beat flowing through us.

"Oooooh shiiiiiit." I can hear Clint say from behind me and I grin. I can feel Steve's eyes on me as I flow with the dance, hitting every move perfectly. Darcy misses a move and she curses when she sees me take the lead. She tries getting back into sync but it's taking her a bit, costing her to be a bit lower than I am.

The song finishes and Darcy punches my shoulder.

"Can't believe you won." She grumbles and I chuckle.

"Well it wasn't easy."

The rest of the night was fun and at the same time laid back. Clint and Natasha went against each other and of course, Natasha slayed Clint. In the end I had sneaked off to my room when my dad broke out the booze, knowing it wasn't going to end all that great.

I quickly changed into a pair of track shorts and a tshirt, throwing my hair up into a ponytail. I crawled into bed and shut the lights out, letting the darkness shroud over me. Soon enough, I was asleep.


	3. Late Night Visitor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, if you hadn't noticed before, I had changed a few things in the previous chapters to get the time line moved up in the MCU. The fic is now set after AOU so Jarvis has been replaced with Friday and he is now Vision. My goal is to have enough chapters in so when Civil War comes out I can tie in the movie with the fic. Well, hope you enjoy the chapter!

 The feeling of being watched pulled me from my sleep, making my eyes flutter open. Nothing but darkness and moonlight met my eyes, confusing me. I don't usually wake up in the middle of the night for nothing.

"Friday, what woke me up?" I ask softly, the hairs on my arms beginning to stand on end.

"Mister Thor arrived at the tower earlier. I do not know what must have awoken you." 

"Scan the tower." My voice is barely above a whisper. I stare into the darkness, alert and waiting for the report from Friday. Anxiety begins to flow through me as time crawls by. "Friday, what is it?" I ask, but I get no response. My blood turns cold. "Friday." I try again and of course, nothing. I take a deep breath, trying to keep calm. I snatch my phone off my nightstand and send a text to Steve, telling him something's wrong, but it doesn't send. A curse falls from my lips as I become frustrated. "Fuck my life." I whisper to myself as I pull my covers from my body to see what was wrong. I pull on my thick blue flannel and put my phone in my pocket, opening up my bedroom door. I look down the hallway, seeing nothing but pitch blackness. I pull my phone out of my pocket and turn on the flashlight to walk to the Commons room to the elevator. As I walk into the room, the moonlight lights up the area, washing it in a soft glow. But before I get to the elevator, I look to the terrace, stopping cold in my tracks.

A man stands on the terrace, his silhouette looming. I can't tell if he's looking out or at me, making shivers run up and down my body. I'm frozen where I stand, too scared to move. I know it's not Steve, the man is a bit shorter and leaner. Their hair is longer too, nearly down to their shoulders. I don't know who it is and I'm too afraid to run for help, leaving me with no idea with what to do. 

"Umm, hello?" I call out and the alarm in my head goes off. He doesn't move. "Excuse me, who are you? And what are you doing here?" I ask a bit louder, testing to see if he will move. Slowly he turns around, and in the moonlight, his left arm glints, like metal... "Oh fuck." I whimper as I realize who it is and I take off, not caring if he's running after me. I can hear footsteps behind me but I don't look back, too scared to as I turn sharply back down the apartment corridor. As I run into my bedroom, I quickly turn around and lock the door, stepping away. At first there is nothing, not a sound coming from the other side, but that quickly goes away as he starts trying to break the door down. I slowly back into a far corner of my room, knowing there is no use in hiding from him, he would quickly find me. There's a crack and with one more shove, the door splinters open.

He steps in, eyes immediately finding me curled into a ball on the floor. A sob leaves my lips as he comes closer, eyes cold and dead. He crouches in front of me, elbows resting on his knees as he studies me. My body shakes in fear and my eyes are wide as I watch him. I flinch when he lifts up his hand, eyes clenched shut, but I slowly open them when I feel the hand touching my cheek. He's caressing my cheek, so softly as if I was made of glass.

" _Pochemu vy tak vazhno dlya nikh?"_ He whispers to himself, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. The moment is interrupted as heavy footsteps come down the hallway, showing Steve and Thor in the doorway. The moment that the two make a move to come in, he jumps up away from me and pulls out a pistol, aiming it at them. Steve glances at me then back at him, trying to decide what to do. Slowly he puts his hands up in as a sign that he's not going to hurt him.

"Okay, nobody needs to get hurt now. Thor and I will put down our weapons only if you put down your gun. Deal?" Steve offers and he looks conflicted, deciding whether or not if it would be a good idea to put down his only weapon against two men who are bigger than him. Slowly but surely he puts down his gun and Steve and Thor do the same. "Is it okay if I can come over and get Harley?" Steve asks and the Soldier looks down at me, but steps away so Steve can get me. Steve quickly comes over scoops me up, holding me close. I look back as Steve carries me away, wanting to catch a glimpse of the man, but his eyes are already on me, as if he's still studying me.

Soon enough everybody in the tower was awake, my dad going over preparations for the new "guest", as he's calling him. Even though Steve seems put together on the outside, I can tell he's still completely shocked that he found his best friend in my bedroom crouched in front of me. As for me, I'm no longer scared of the man, but instead curious as to why he treated me with such gentleness.

A knock pulls me from my thoughts and I look up, smiling when I see Sam standing in the doorway of the med bay.

"Hi." I greet softly.

"Hey, you doing alright?" He asks and I shrug.

"Honestly, I don't know. Before I thought I was going to die at the hands of an assassin who's really been a POW since 1944. But then, I don't know. He said something in Russian when he was crouched in front of me, almost as if he was thinking out loud to himself. He was confused with something, but I don't know what there is about me that is confusable." I chuckle a bit but I cast my eyes down at the floor. "Why would he break into the tower just to scare the living shit out of me?" I ask, looking back at Sam. He shrugs. 

"I don't know, but I'm guessing that we'll find out once we are given the okay for Barnes to interact with us. But for now we will just have to wait." He explains and I sigh.

"How's Steve taking this?" I ask.

"Well, he's locked himself in his room since we got Barnes to his holding cell. So far he hasn't said anything."

"Damn. What's Barnes doing now?"

"Nothing, just sitting in his room staring off into space. It's unusual."

"Well, he is a brainwashed assassin with a bionic arm from Hydra, everything about him is unusual." I smile, causing Sam to give one back.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Tony got some guys to put a new door on your room just to let you know."

"Awesome. Well, I'm going to head up to the kitchen if anybody needs me." I push myself off of the bed and walk past Sam. Once I am up in the kitchen, I start pulling out various pans and bowls with different mixes of deserts. I pull up my _Forget Everything_ playlist and I start getting things going.

When I get nervous or feel like I'm about to have a mental breakdown, I start baking like nobody's business. It probably first started when Tony went missing in 2008 when he was overseas. I was a complete wreck during the time he was gone, knowing if someone you love might not come home can mess with your mind. I made so many deserts that I had to start donating to local homeless shelters to keep up with the amounts that I was baking. Those few months were the most destructive months of my life.

"Harley?" I jump and nearly drop a bowl full of brownie mix as Steve's voice sounds from the doorway. I set the bowl down and put my hands on the countertop, not daring to face my best friend as I feel tears welling up. "Harley are you alright?" Those four words is all it takes to make the tears flow over and a sob to escape my lips. I put a hand in front over my mouth to try and muffle the sound, but I know it won't help. I can hear him walk over and stop right behind me. My body is lightly shaking as I somehow manage to contain the majority of the sobs but once Steve's arms wrap around my waist they break loose.

"I th-thought that I was g-going to fu-cking die!" I stutter as I try to push my words past my sobs. "I-I didn't know what t-to do o-ther than fucking c-curl up on the grou-nd and wait for m-y death, Steve." I look up at him, catching his eyes. "I don't know if I can face him anytime soon, Steve. All I'm going to see when I see him is the death that could've happened." I avert my eyes back to the ground, feeling more hysteria build up and my breathing quicken.

"Hey, hey. Calm down okay? He didn't hurt you before so he's not going to hurt you now. He just needs time to flush out the programming." My eyes snap back up to his. 

"Programming? What programming?" I ask, confused. Steve's breath hitches and I can feel his heartbeat pick up.

"He uh, he didn't do this willingly, Haven. He's been brainwashed and dehumanized, Hydra has been taking out the man he once was and replacing it with something else. When SHIELD fell, I had been on one of the helicarriers, fighting him off as I was trying to reprogram the targeting system. At the end when everything was falling, I said something to restart his memory. So he may not be the man I once knew, but he not all of the assassin that history has come to know." He looks down to me and I can see the overflowing amounts of hurt that he's feeling.

"Oh my God, Steve, I didn't know." I let go and start walking backwards. "How can someone do that to another human being and not feel any guilt whatsoever? How can they block out the screams and pleas of another person as they ripped out their souls and use their body for evil?" I slide down the side of the counter and I hand my face in my hands, trying to process what I've just learned. How can someone be so cruel to another human being?

"It's going to be okay, Harley. I don't think he wants to hurt anyone intentionally right now. He's still trying to figure out who he is and what his place in the world is." He crouches down to me and takes a hold of my wrists, pulling them away from my face. I look at him, clearly seeing through the mask of hope he has on. "Bruce has even said that he's doing better than an average PTSD victim." I narrow my eyes.

"Steve, I know you, don’t you try to feed me the same bullshit that you don’t believe." I bite back, watching as the mask crumbles.

"He's a trained assassin, Harley. Of course he's going to hide his feelings. I'm afraid of what's going to happen when he truly acknowledges those feelings." He hangs his head and I tilt mine.

"Hey, he may not be okay now, but he will get better, Steve. It just takes time." He lifts his head and a small smile grows on his lips.

"Thanks, Harley. I really needed that."

"No problem. Well, I do have some mixes that need to be done if you don't mind helping me." I smile and he chuckles.

"Who would be crazy enough to skip out on baking with you?" I laugh and he helps me up. 

The next couple of hours are filled with finishing up the deserts and playful comments to each other, and it was nice, forgetting for a bit that hell just crashed into my life.

_ But of course that doesn't last long, as the peaceful moment is shattered. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pochemu vy tak vazhno dlya nikh?: Why are you so important to them?


	4. Want a Coke?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god I suck at updating. It's been a freaking month and nothing. I am so sorry. School has been a pain in my ass already but I will try to keep up with updating... hopefully.

"Captain Rogers, your assistance is vitally needed on floor forty-three." Friday's voice interrupted our peace, making me look to Steve confused.

"What is it?" He asks, eyebrows furrowed.

"Sir and Mr. Odinson need your assistance with Sergeant Barnes." Was all he needed to hear before he ran out of the kitchen. I called out his name but it was ignored as he rushed into the elevator, leaving me behind. My shoulders slumped and I sighed, setting the cake down on the counter next to the others. I look to the clock on the wall, my eyes widening when it reads 5:13 am. I sit on the counter, thinking of what I can do next. I start looking around the kitchen, an idea popping into my mind when I see the coffee machine. Who wouldn't want coffee at five fifteen in the morning? I know I would want some. I push myself off the counter and walk over to the machine, putting in Steve's, Thor's and Dad's favorite types of coffees along with my frappuccino. I also put in an order of black coffee when I remember that Steve had mentioned it was all he and Bucky drank when they were able to get coffee. When those are done, I load them up on to a tray and walk into the elevator.

"Friday, take me to floor forty-three." I said and the doors closed and the elevator started moving. When the door opened, my mouth dropped at the sight in front of me. Steve and Thor were wrestling Bucky to the ground, and it looks like they were certainly struggling. I looked to the right of the room and saw my dad shouting something.

"What the fuck, Rogers! Why the _fuck_ did you open the cell door? _What the fuck!_ " He was practically screeching with fury. I went to go press the button for the doors to close but the movement caught the assassin's gaze, and he suddenly had a new target. I could feel the blood drain from my face as he started scrambling for me. I started smashing the button with my fist, desperate to get out of here. But before the doors could fully close, Bucky had escaped Steve and Thor's grip and stuck his hands between the doors, pulling them open. I yelped when he made a grab for me, barely missing.

"Harley!" Steve shouted when he scrambled to get up. Bucky made another grab, this time successfully grabbing my right forearm with his metal hand. The tray crashed to the floor and the hot coffee sprayed all over, making me scream when some gets on my legs. I start panicking even more when I realized that there was a metal arm wrapped around my own. I begin clawing at the metal hand as it squeezed around my arm.

"Letgoletgoletgoletgo." I rambled, tears starting to prick my eyes with panic. " _Otpusti, chert voz'mi!_ " I shouted, the words flying out of my mouth that I didn't even know I knew. His eyes widened and his hand let go, taking two huge steps away from me. I yanked my arm away and held it close, watching him with focused eyes. He seemed to be in some sort of shock, his body rigid and eyes wide. Steve had finally gotten himself together, watching with a sort of mesmerization.

"Harley, what did you say?" Steve asked lowly, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I started shaking.

"I only said 'Let go, damn it.' That's all I swear. I didn't know that I still knew some Russian." My breathing picked up and so much guilt just flooded through me. "I'm so sorry, Steve. Oh my God." He came up to me and wraps his arms around me in a bear hug.

"It's okay, you didn't know." We both look back to Bucky who is still standing like a statue and I walk out of Steve's embrace towards Bucky.

"I would not advise that you go near Barnes at the moment, Harley." Thor's voice warned but I waved him off. I stood a good two feet in front of him and looked him over, a smile coming to my face when an idea came to mind. I walked over to the mini fridge and pulled out a Coke, opening it before I walk back over to everyone. I hold out the drink with a smile, but he looks at it suspiciously.

"You just saw me open the can, I don't think I could have put anything in it in a matter of .2 seconds." I comment and he gives me a look before taking the can and taking a sip, his eyes lighting up. "See? Nothing in it but pure goodness." I smile and his eyes make contact with me, and it's all the thanks I need. Sharp stinging pulls me back into reality and bit the inside of my cheek to keep from hissing. "Well, now that that's all done I'm going back up to sleep the day away so don't bother me." I push out and I walk back into the elevator, giving the guys a wave before the doors close. When the elevator starts moving, I let out a stream of words that would put a sailor to shame. I look down at my legs and wince at the angry red along my calves and the lower area of my thighs. "Son of a fucking bitch." I whisper and the doors open again to my floor and I take my sweet time getting to my bathroom to pull out the first aid kit. How could this have all happened in a matter of hours? I sigh and fall back on to my bed, falling asleep on the covers.

* * *

 

When I wake up I'm bundled in the confines of my covers and music is playing from my iHome. I jolt up and squeak when I see Bucky staring at me.

"What the hell?! How did you get in here?" I practically screech and he hold up a finger to his lips. "Like hell I'm being quiet! I want to know why the fuck you're in my room." He starts walking over to me and my eyes widen. "Fuck okay I'll be quiet!" I start scrambling and I fall off the edge of my bed holding my hands up. I quickly stand back up with my hands by my head. His eyes soften and his lips lift up in the corners to resemble a smile. I lean back against the wall and cross my arms, my eyes still on the sort of smile. "First off, why were you watching me in my sleep and two did you seriously tuck me into bed?" I ask and he avoids my gaze, giving me the answer to my last question.

"I wanted to apologize and thank you for earlier. And it is very easy to bypass Stark's security." He comments and I chuckle.

"He would absolutely hate to hear that. He takes so much pride from the tower. But you stayed in my room just so you could thank me? You could have just left a note or something that's not as creepy." I smile and he shrugs. Silence passes through us and I avert my eyes to the window. "So what did you say to me last night? When you were here." I ask and his eyes harden and I'm afraid that I fucked up.

"I'd rather not say at the moment. But I do promise to tell you, just at a later time." He explains and I nod my head. What could he have said to me that could be so secretive? I guess I'll just have to wait. "So what are your relations to the Avengers?" He asks and I look to him smirking.

"You won't believe me." "Try me." He challenges and roll my eyes.

"I'm Tony's daughter." I say with a straight face and he scoffs.

"Bullshit."

"I'm serious. Ask anybody else in this tower and they'll say the same thing." I say and he laughs.

"Damn, it's unfortunate that I have known three generations of the Stark bloodline. Let's just hope you're not as egotistical as the earlier two." He jokes and I laugh.

"No worries. The only thing separating the two of us is the Scharich bloodline on my mom's side of the family. They are absolutely insane, but in a good way." I explain and he smiles.

"Scharich... Is that German?" He asks and I nod.

"Sure is. My great grandparents came to America after a failed revolution the same time the Irish came over during the Potato Famine. My mom grew up in small town Unionville, Michigan surrounded by cornfields. And every year I go back for the Fourth of July and the first weekend of August for the ball tournament. Well, it's really just a bear festival with softball games."

"Sounds nice."

"Yeah, even though they can be a real pain in the ass I love them all to death. I'd do anything for them." A warm smile makes its way on to my face as I remember my time that I've had with them. My mom's twin sisters are the craziest ones out of the family but are somehow the closest to me. "You know what, my grandpa and his parents lived in Brooklyn for a while before they moved to Michigan. I wonder if you knew them." I turn to him.

"What's your granddad's name?"

"Glenn Scharich."

"Does sound familiar, but I wouldn't know. You'd have to ask Steve." His face turns shadowy and I realize my mistake.

"It's okay if you don’t know. It's just something that popped into my head." I try and pull him out and he looks at me with sad eyes. Fuuuuuuuuck. "Do you want another Coke?" I ask as I gesture to my mini fridge under the daybed. His eyes light up and I smile. We walk over and I pull two out, handing one to Bucky. I sit on the daybed and pat the spot next to me. Bucky goes and sits down as I scoot over and I go to pull my legs under me but hiss when I'm reminded of the burns. Bucky's eyes narrow at the bandages on my legs.

"Why didn't you tell anybody?" He asks.

"Well, the infirmary was farther than my room so I patched up myself." I try to explain coolly but his intense gaze makes me nervous.

"It could get infected."

"Then I'll deal with it if it happens. Is it okay if I put my legs across your lap?" I ask and he visibly tenses for a moment before slowly nodding. As I lay my legs across his lap, he remains tense for a few moments before he starts relaxing. But before we can have even a minute of peace, my door flies open and Steve and Tony burst into my room. When their eyes land on us, they fucking _freeze_. Bucky and I look at each other and I have to bite the inside of my cheek to not start laughing my ass off because their faces are priceless. "How the _hell_ did you get up here?" Tony asks and Bucky shrugs. "Your security is laughably bypassable."


	5. Coffee Houses and Promises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I again, suck at updating. And I'm sorry it's short, but I've been caught up with school and softball. It should start clearing up within the next couple of weeks. Thank you!

The tension in the room was tangible, the way Tony and Steve looked at Bucky like he was a ghost or a magician. But at the same time it was comical.

"What the hell do you mean 'laughably by passable'?" Tony asks, his ego obviously wounded.

"What I mean is that a novice hacker could get through it. Who's running your security? You have absolutely no firewalls up." Bucky asks and my Dad's face reddens. Steve places a hand on Tony's shoulder and he steps back to cool off.

"Buck, it's not safe for you to wonder the tower yet. You know what happened yesterday, you could hurt someone else." Steve tries reasoning and I can feel the anger begin to radiate off of Bucky.

"You think I don't know that? All I wanted to do was apologize for earlier. I know that I run the risk of hurting someone when I walk anywhere, I don't need to be reminded of it when it's an alarm that goes off in my head." He seethes and my heart drops. Does he worry that much over the safety of others so much that he constantly reminds himself?

"But I didn't hurt anyone did I? I'll tell you when I feel myself start to relapse okay? I've been out of the ice long enough to know when I'll relapse so you don't need to baby me." He fires and I cast my eyes to a stray spot on the carpet, processing his words. The room is silent now, only the heavy breathing from Bucky keeping me anchored to what's going on around me.

"I think it's time to get you back to your room now." Steve says, his words nearly void of all emotion. Bucky stands up, his movements stiff and he doesn't look back to say goodbye when Steve and Tony escort him out of my room.

With my room now empty, the words that he's said start swimming through my head and the pain that he's been through has bled through those words. The words gave more than what he most likely intended. A thought smacked into me. Was this the façade that Steve had mentioned earlier? Was he just putting on a fake persona to seem as if he was fine? The thought makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. If so, then what's he really like?

The brisk autumn wind bit at my cheeks as I walked through the crowds on my way to my favorite coffee shop. It's a little shop on a corner that I had been going to since I was a young teenager, I spent nearly all of my time after school there.  
I pulled open the door and walked in, the small bell above the door ringing. Valorie poked her head out from the back and a large smile made a way on to her wrinkled face. Valorie is a nice old lady, in her late sixties and has owned this shop since she was a young adult in the late 1940's. I walked up and she came out wiping her hands on her apron.

"Hi there Harley, it's been a while since your last visit." She comments and I smile.

"Yeah, I was kind of caught up in some stuff the last time I visited my Dad." I reply and she gives me the same warm smile she has been for the past thirteen years.

"I'll get your order ready then, just make yourself comfortable." She says before she walks away from the counter. I walk away and take my usual spot in the back next to a window that looks out on to the corner. I set my bag down and pull out one of my newest favorite books, The Martian. To give it a short summary, it's about a guy who's stranded on Mars and pretty much fucks around with everything he's not supposed to, to stay alive until the next mission can come and get him. Many explosions ensue.

Valorie comes out of the side door and sets down the cup next to me. I make a move to get my money out but she waves it off.

"It's on the house, honey." She smiles before going back into the kitchen. I take a sip and I nearly moan at how good her fraps are, the caramel slick over my tongue. I pull my phone and earbuds out, plugging them in and putting on my chill playlist on, Oh Wonder streaming through the buds. I take another sip of my drink before going back to my book, laughing to myself at something Mark said.

Many hours have gone by, the steady stream of customers dwindling down to a few who sit at the front of the shop. The sun is now hidden behind the skyline and street lights have flickered on, the waves of people thinning to nearly nothing. My phone buzzes and I pick it up, my eyebrows raising at the picture Clint sent me. Steve has a shot glass tilted on his lips with his head tilted back and so does Natasha, Thor's flask is on the table along with a strong bottle of vodka with Clint smiling like an idiot in the bottom corner of the screen.

Come play with us, we miss you! The text with the picture has me smiling and packing up my stuff. As I walk out of the shop, someone's shoulder bumps into mine, making him drop his coffee.

"Oh my God I am so sorry, I didn't even see you." I feel my cheeks redden as the words fly off my lips.

"It's quite alright, it's my fault as well." His voice was deep and I looked up, my eyes making contact with cold grey ones. Even with the warm smile on the man's face, there is no life in his eyes. A shiver runs down my spine and I give a forced smile.

"Well, bye." I quickly leave before he can say anything else. As I'm walking out of the shop I look back, and my heart skips a beat when I see the man staring back at me. I turn back around and start hauling tail, pulling my bag closer to me.

The walk back to the tower is consisted of me being paranoid and looking over my shoulder, but there was nothing. I sigh in relief as I make it through the doors, pulling out my phone and shooting off a text to Clint saying I'm in the tower. My phone pings and I laugh at the picture of everyone cheering. I walk into the elevator and the doors close, going off. When they open again, I am greeted by a roar of laughter and cheering from the main room. I set my bag down on a chair and I walk down the stairs, seeing everyone seated around the coffee table. They were talking and Thor was sharing one of his battle stories.

"But the beast was no match for-Harley!" His eyes meet mine and I smile, everyone turning their heads to me.

"Hey guys." I plop down into the couch next to Steve and I feel myself relax.

"You know, the last time we were all seated around the table like this is when a murder-bot came to destroy us." Bruce points out and everyone giggles.

"And would you look at that, even Mjolnir is on the table." Tony says and sure enough, there it was. Steve hands me a shot glass filled with Nat's vodka. I tip my head back and I welcome the burn running down my throat. The liquid soon sets in and I'm loose, laughing and joking along with everyone.

Somewhere close to midnight, I bid everyone a good night and head off to my room. But instead of going to my room, I tell Friday to take me to the Containment Unit. My mind is in a haze from the alcohol, and I swear Thor slipped some of his Asguardian shit into my drink I'm so loopy.

I start humming a random tune and it takes me a minute to realize that I'm humming Shake It Out by Florence + The Machine. The white walls of the Unit echoing with the music, and I can't even remember if I even had a reason why I came down here. The humming evolves into singing.

"Regrets collect like old friends, here to relive your darkest moments. I can see no way I can see no way." I start softly, but my voice grows stronger with every second. I giggle and twirl, turning down a hallway that I faintly remember.

"And all of the ghouls come out to play. And every demon wants his pound of flesh, but I like to keep some things to myself." The cells come up and I glance through the bulletproof windows, not yet realizing who I'm looking for.

"I like to keep my issues drawn. It's always darkest bef-" I stop cold when I look through the last window, my heart in my throat at what I see.

Bucky is standing in the middle of the room, his left side facing me and his hair covering his face. He's stock still and his hands look raw, pulsing red. He's so still it doesn't even look like he's breathing, and even in my drunken state it scares me shitless. I press a hand up to the window, careful not to make any noise. He doesn't move.

"Friday, what's going on?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Sergeant Barnes seems to be in a relapse. I do not advise you to go in, Miss Harley." She responds and I swallow.

"What caused it?"

"The cause is unknown." My eyes are glued to him, searching for anything that could show me that he's okay, or will be. Out of nowhere, his head snaps up to meet my eyes. They are empty, but I can still somehow see an underlying tone of anger, but it might even be the calculation to kill.

Slowly, he starts walking up to the window and I can feel my heart in my throat. He stops a couple of inches from the window and he does something that completely throws me off. He puts his metal hand up to meet my right one. I stare at it. I don't know how long I starred until I looked up to meet his eyes. His eyes are still empty, but a . . . soft empty.

"I'm going to help you, I promise." I whisper and I don't know if it's the booze, but I swear I can see the ghost of a smile on his lips.


End file.
